Unexpected Occurrences
by carpediem101
Summary: The mysterious murder of Seijuro Hiko brings together two reluctant detectives who must learn to work as a team. As secrets are unraveled and relationships grow deeper, will one man’s painful past destroy any chance of a happy future? KKE
1. The Surprise Encounter

:DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kenshin or any of the characters created by the amazing Nobuhiro Watsuki. I am only a crazy fan of the series and am borrowing them for the sake of my story. 

**Author's notes: **Hello all! I've been a huge fan of the series and Kenshin fics for a long time, and I finally decided to try and write one of my own. This is my first story that I am posting : It's a little funny because I started it a long time ago and didn't pick it up until like a year later. You could say I had a huge writer's block - The story is just coming to me as I write it. Although I enjoy reading stories with alternate pairings, as my first story, I don't think I can resist a KnK fic. But who knows where the story may lead me. The chapters may be a little long… I hope that's ok. Characters will pop up here and there so keep an eye out! I really hope you guys like it!

Unexpected Occurrences – 

**Chapter One: The Surprise Encounter**

"Himura!" a young man with tousled brown hair dashed up to the red-head, skidding to a halt right before the two collided. Kenshin nodded his head toward the young agent in recognition.

"What's up, Sano. Why the rush?"

"News from the wolf. Seems as though Seijirou Hiko has been assassinated," reported the taller yet more inexperienced of the two.

"When?"

"Approximately 10:30 tonight."

Kenshin Himura glanced down at his digital wristwatch. It read 12:07 am. It had forgotten to sound off the alarm to remind him to take his sleeping pills. Damn thing. He gently rubbed his right temple with two fingers in a circular motion.

"Where?"

"In his own study, while he was having a late drink," Sanosuke quickly said. His eyes roamed over the grim features of his superior. Usually bright violet eyes were now closed tightly in deep concentration. It had been obvious the man had been in bed only moments before. His messed up ponytail, wrinkled t-shirt and sweats, as well as the fact that his left sock was missing happened to be a dead giveaway. Knowing Kenshin often took sleeping pills to get to sleep around 11:30, Sano knew he was lucky Kenshin had forgotten.

He was aware of bits and pieces pertaining to the past of Kenshin Himura, however not everything was quite in the clear. All he was sure of was that this certain man's past was a very dark and painful one, which was probably the source of his insomnia and all around inability to sleep peacefully without the aid of medications. Nevertheless, Himura was and always would be one of the very best agents; there was no doubt about it.

Sano shook his head slightly. There were more urgent matters at hand, and noticing that neither of them hand spoken in the past few minutes, decided to prompt the agent before him with a question.

"Oi. You alright? I mean Hiko… he was your mentor and all, wasn't he?" Sano scratched his head full of hair. "I heard… no. I _know_ that Seijirou Hiko was quite an impressive and amazing man, intelligent and an awesome fighter. He wouldn't be an easy man to take down, don't you think? And to be caught off guard in his own home…seems awfully uncharacteristic of Hiko … just too easy, doesn't it?"

Ok- maybe he'd asked a few questions.

"Yeah... Let me get dressed and ready. I'll meet you downstairs in your car, and we'll go to the scene of the crime for an investigation. I'll be down in a few," and with that, Kenshin turned away from Sano.

"Hai!"

Once Kenshin heard the door shut and lock behind Sano, Kenshin let out a deep breath. He realized that the lights in his small studio had been off the entire time, and now he felt around for a switch to turn them on. He came across a lamp instead, and settled. Once he had clicked the lamp on, he took a steady look around as if looking for something. Violet eyes washed over a tiny kitchen that connected directly to the living room in which he was standing. He glanced at his couch then out the window that lead to a tiny balcony of some sort, and finally to his unmade bed. He made his way to his bed and hesitantly reached below it. His hand searched in the darkness until it grasped something hard and dusty. He pulled out his companion, the only object given to him by his master, the sakobatou.

Kenshin leaned against his bed. It was time for work again. He hadn't even had the time to grieve the loss of his shishou. He never had the time to grieve for the loss of those he loved. But the reality of their deaths always hit him. It always did. He knew he was in for more nights filled with tossing and turning. Life sucked big time.

- - - - -

A light drizzle dawned along with the rising sun upon the exhausted group of men and women, waking them all slightly for a long day. Most of these people had only received about an hour or so of sleep before they all had been roused for this investigation, and now they were thoroughly exhausted. Yet, they all knew, tired or not, they had a murder on their hands, which meant they would be deprived of sleep for quite some time.

Kenshin combed his fingers in frustration through his now deep orange hair, damp from the rain. He couldn't comprehend who could have committed a murder so well thought out and planned so that it seemed as if there wasn't a trace of evidence they could find, at least nothing solid. As he turned this thought over in his head once more, he changed his mind. No. It was quite believable, especially now when so many technological advances were being made. The fact that the human mind was developing quickly into a more advanced state was amazing, but that didn't necessarily mean that this progress would be used to help humanity. Kenshin grimaced. More intelligence meant more power and an advantage to others, and humans were by nature selfish. Weapons were becoming more deadly and destructive every year. The fact that a murder was so well conceived and staged out so finely didn't surprise him now. Many other homicides had taken place before with only a small lead which had been triggered by the tiniest of mistakes made by the murderer, and people had solved the crime eventually. No. What boggled his mind was that this killing was of Hiko Seijuro, a man of awesome abilities in the area of self-defense as well as in the justice department. He had been his mentor. Yet someone had been able kill him without giving the victim a chance to fight back. If his superior hadn't been able to beat this monster, how could he? How could he? The question rang through Kenshin's head over and over again.

Sano surveyed the bloody scene. He watched as the men draw a chalk outline of Hiko's crumpled body, and turned away when the men began to stuff the body in a black body bag. He heard them zip it close, heave the bag in a truck, and drive the truck away. Sano sighed and rearranged his coat, trying to prevent anymore of the cold from coming in. He felt like crap. He was wet, tired, and very, very hungry which lead to a nasty mood. If he felt like this, then Kenshin must feel even worse. Worse than crap? Sano was sure of it. He definitely had felt worse when his older brother, leader of a gang called the Seki Houtai had been killed in a drive by shooting. Sano had decided soon after to be a part of the law enforcement in order to avoid a fate similar to his brother's.

Sano glanced at Kenshin, who now wore a glazed expression on his face. As Sano approached him, he saw how miserable Kenshin appeared to be. His grey slacks were drenched and looked as if they were weighing him down. The coat he was wearing didn't look as if it were doing any good as well, seeing as Kenshin hadn't even bothered to zip it up in his rush to get down to the scene of the crime and find out what had happened. Kenshin's hair didn't look so great either. It had been beaten down by the rain to look like a tangled, messy mop—a sad excuse for hair. Luckily, Sano's head of hair had managed to remain astoundingly resilient to the stubborn drops of water and had maintained it's usual spiky form. Sano suddenly noticed that Kenshin was whispering a phrase to himself over and over again. Although Sano couldn't catch the entire thing, he did catch a 'How' in the beginning. Kenshin was his superior, but he was also his best pal first and foremost, off and on hours. Though Sano worked under the red-head, he wasn't treated like a subordinate for most of the time. Only during times of dire emergency and seriousness, such as in the studio, did Sano treat him as a boss. They were more like partners and best friends, even though Kenshin's personal life story was still a mystery to him.

"Oi! Kenshin! You alright there?" Sano asked in concern for the shorter man. Kenshin shook his head to bring himself out of his daze and noticed the man standing next to him.

"Yeah, yeah," Kenshin said waving his hand as if to signal there was nothing bothering him. "We should head out to our office. There's nothing else we can do here, at least nothing that other people probably can't do better. We'll wait for anything we can use as a lead to come in. In the meantime, I suggest we both rest for a while and try and dig up some information about people who might have a grudge against Hiko Seijuro."

Sano nodded in silent agreement, noting his partner's cool mannerism. "I'll go ahead and bring the car around…you wait here," and with that Sano turned around first and jogged away searching for his car in all the chaos which had just started to break up.

Kenshin closed his eyes and heaved another sigh as he turned around as well for a few moments, only to crash into a stranger.

"Hey! Watch it buddy! Why don't you try opening your eyes and walking for a change?" came a curt reply. Apparently, thought Kenshin, this stranger was a female, and an outspoken one at that. Kenshin silently cursed and rolled his eyes under his still shut eyelids in irritation. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone right now.

"Hello? Are you listening to me or what? I knew you were blind but I didn't know you were deaf too. Or are you just rude and refuse to ever learn any manners?"

Kenshin could feel the air rush by his face as the woman flapped her hand in front of his face. His eyes continued to remain shut and his eyebrows furrowed together in an attempt to maintain his patience.

"I'm talking to you! The least you could do is respond!" came the exasperated voice again. "Geez…." continued the voice, and continued muttering. Finally, frustrated with this person who would not go away, Kenshin decided to say something.

"I'm sorry, but could you stop the excessive chattering for just a minute. It's giving me a migraine."

Kenshin, of course, hadn't meant to sound so cold, but the words had come tumbling out. He was relieved to hear nothing more was coming out of the woman's mouth. Pleased, Kenshin slightly relaxed and slowly opened his eyes, only to look straight into a pair of incredibly sharp blue eyes of the most intense shade. Kenshin tensed up right away. Those eyes were furious, and not surprisingly, its glare was directed right towards him.

Author notes: OK! There it is! I hope you all enjoyed it. I apologize for any mistakes there may be and thanks so much to my sister for all her help in a quick edit! I promise it will get better: 'till next time waves


	2. Anything for a diversion

:DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kenshin or any of the characters created by the amazing Nobuhiro Watsuki. I am only a crazy fan of the series and am borrowing them for the sake of my story. 

**_Chapter two: Anything for a diversion_**

Kaoru glared into the eyes of the single being responsible for her irritation which was quickly becoming fury. 'MOU!' thought Kaoru. 'I don't believe this guy! No manners at all… he is definitely no Romeo or Prince Charming, that's for sure!

Although, considering his appearance, he did look rather attractive. 'A kind of rugged, handsome type in this light. And his eyes… I've never seen any like them before… they're so…intense… they seem to switch between violet and almost an indigo color with flashes of amber…like a lightening storm.' Kaoru silently reprimanded herself, still not breaking the staring competition she was having at the moment with the stranger before her. 'More like a freak lightening storm… I mean who compares eyes to a storm… only me! Still… I felt something when our eyes met… like electricity or something. It was strange. I still feel it a little. My fingers are tingling…so are my toes! Plus my stomach feels like it just did a flip… must be that burrito I ate for dinner. Meg warned me about that… why do I never listen! Yup. That must be it! What am I thinking? Electricity…lightening storms….whatever. It's just his gaze… too intense… can't keep this up much longer…' Kaoru abruptly looked away from Kenshin… blinking rapidly in the process.

Kenshin didn't know what this feeling was, but it felt…warm…nice. This woman was distracting him from the matter at hand, but Kenshin gladly accepted the diversion—anything to numb the pain at least momentarily.

The moment sapphire blue had clashed against violet eyes struggling to take control, Kenshin had felt as if a bolt of energy had been sent through him. He had felt the electricity in the air…all around him. It was, simply put, odd. So, he did what he usually did with things he was unfamiliar with and felt he had no control over…he ignored it. They had been staring at each other for a few minutes now…and it seemed to Kenshin, this woman wasn't ever going to let up. And during this little staring competition, Kenshin was able to see a mixture of emotions mirrored in her eyes the entire time. He saw mostly flashes of frustration and anger, which was understandable enough. However, he would occasionally see hints of confusion and amusement flicker across her features as quickly as a candle being blown out. When she finally looked away, Kenshin squeezed his eyes shut for a second or two before reopening them, thankful to get a chance to allow some moisture to return to his eyeballs which had been starting to feel a bit dry. 'Strange,' mused Kenshin. 'I don't think I ever could, no, would have looked away if she hadn't looked away first. Yeah, that sounds as if it makes any sense!' As usual, Kenshin just brushed this thought out of his head. He then noticed that the woman in front of him still had her gaze adverted away from him and was now focused on a distant object to her right somewhere. It wasn't until now that Kenshin was able to appreciate her looks due to the fact that he had only concentrated on her eyes. Eyes, which in his opinion, were the most shockingly exquisite and animated eyes he had seen in his life. She had high cheekbones, a fine nose, and a slender neck that had been partially covered with a dark, chocolate brown turtleneck. She already radiated beauty even though her hair, which was as dark as a raven's feather, was tied up in a messy bun in the back, causing strands to fall over her neck and face in random locations. Not to mention the fact that she was wearing a beige overcoat, which was damp and soiled by dirt at the hem, along with a pair of denim jeans and a pair of black boots. If the circumstances and the timing had been any different, he may have asked her out.

But now was not the time to be thinking about women.

"WHAT?"

'Oh yeah,' Kenshin reminded himself. He had forgotten how they had bumped into each other only moments ago. He mentally shook himself. Why was he suddenly acting so weird? He had to stop; he was scaring himself!

"Well? What are you staring at? Really." Kaoru peered up at the man in front of her and sighed in exasperation. She crossed her arms across her chest. This man had been staring at her intently even after she had lost their little staring contest. She had felt his gaze. If his eyes were a laser, she would have a hole the size of Tokyo in her head by now.

"I need to concentrate on the important matters at hand, not a feisty, impatient, ill-mannered woman," muttered Kenshin. Whoops. Had he said that aloud? He hadn't meant to…

"EXCUSE ME?" exclaimed a rather startled and even more infuriated Kaoru. "WHO is the ill-mannered one around here? I don't think it's me, do you?" Kaoru asked no one in particular while looking around to her left and then to her right. She stopped her imaginary search as she faced Kenshin once more. "I think…No. Wait. I KNOW, it's not me. Now, I won't say WHO I think it is," Kaoru looked directly into Kenshin's eyes, "but I think we both know who it is, ne?"

"Nope. Who is it exactly if it isn't you?" Damn. He just couldn't stop his big mouth and that smart aleck, sarcastic bit. Kenshin was on this person's last nerves, and he knew it. He was a little sorry, but he didn't show it. It may not have made the woman in front of him feel any better, but it made him feel a tiny better. Who knew why?

"THAT'S IT BUDDY!" Kaoru dropped her bag on the muddy ground. "YOU WANNA SEE ME MAD? WELL, HEH. WISH GRANTED!" She put two fists in front of her face and imitated a boxer's stance. "I don't usually like to resort to violence… but JUST 'CAUSE I'M A GIRL DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T HANDLE MYSELF! C'MON! YOU AND ME RIGHT HERE! C'MON!" Kaoru gestured to Kenshin to bring it on.

Kenshin was half amused and half in shock when he found out this woman wanted to fight him. He couldn't fight her…that would be just…wrong. She would get hurt, maybe seriously, and Kenshin didn't want to apologize or get sued anytime soon. He just wasn't in the mood.

"WELL?"

"Oro?"

"WHAT?" Kaoru stared in disbelief at her supposed challenger. Had he just said…oro? Well, that was unexpected. Actually, it was so unexpected, Kaoru temporarily forgot her anger and stared in complete bafflement at the red-head. 'ORO?' Kaoru shook her head, a smile slowly emerging onto her face, lighting it up. 'Oro. Who would have thought a tough guy like that would respond to a challenge to fight like… well…with that? Hmm… maybe there's something actually human behind that tough wall he's putting up.' Kaoru shook her head again. She had thought she had seen a glimmer of a smile flash across his handsome face. 'Woah! Handsome? When did I decide he was HANDSOME?' Kaoru thought in shock.

Kenshin didn't know what he had said until it was too late. Oro. He hadn't said that in years…since he had been a child. Why all of a sudden now? He had then saw her break into a brief smile. She looked so happy, so… well, damn it all. She looked beautiful. He couldn't help but smile for a second as well. And then it disappeared into thin air once more, not even leaving a trace of smile anywhere on his face. Suddenly he heard a pair of feet shuffling in their direction.

"Oi! Kenshin! The car's revved up and waiting right over there. A cop offered to watch over it while I fetched you! Hey! Who you talkin' to…" Sano had been pointing over in the direction of his car when he noticed the person Kenshin had been chatting with.

"Eh? Kamiya Kaoru? I thought we weren't going to see you 'till tomorrow! Did you change your mind and find Kenshin… to get to know each other?" Sano winked.

"Oh! Agent Sagara! Umm… Sanosuke, right? No. I don't know what you're talking about. I still plan on meeting you and your friend tomorrow…" then it all dawned upon Kaoru. She stood there in shock.

"You mean you don't know? Both of you?" Sano looked quizzically between both Kenshin and Kaoru. He looked straight at Kenshin, giving him a look that sent across a message saying 'You don't know who she is?' Kenshin sent one back saying 'Beats me.'

"We just…ummm… bumped into each other…" muttered a Kaoru who looked still very much in shock.

"Oh. I see." Sano grinned. "Ok. Then I guess it's up to me to make the introductions, ne? Kamiya Kaoru, this is Kenshin Himura. Kenshin, this beautiful woman right here is Agent Kamiya Kaoru, your new partner."

"WHAT?" Kenshin exclaimed. "P-p-par-partners? With her?" Kenshin gestured towards Kaoru meekly. He had never needed a partner before. Why now? Why not Sano at least!

Sano looked confused as he studied the two people in front of him. Had he missed something? Had something happened he wasn't aware of?

"H-he's my, my, p-partner? HIM? HE'S KENSHIN HIMURA?" Kaoru stared expectantly at Sano as if expecting him to correct her.

Sano looked at Kaoru.

"Yep. He's the one alright."

Kaoru glared up at the so called Kenshin Himura. Her new partner.

Sano looked at Kenshin. His buddy wore a shocked expression.

Sano studied the both of them, intrigued.

Kaoru continued glaring.

Kenshin stared back a bit dazed with the news he had just heard. He still wasn't sure he had heard right. 'Partner? Her? Kamiya Kaoru? This woman?'

"Oro!"

Author's notes: Ok. Hope you all liked it! Please read and review!


	3. Captain Wolf

:DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kenshin or any of the characters created by the amazing Nobuhiro Watsuki. I am only a crazy fan of the series and am borrowing them for the sake of my story. 

**Chapter 3: Captain Wolf**

Wisps of smoke floated up into the air, disappearing into the fluorescent light. Kaoru stifled a cough. The whole room stank of tobacco. A look of disgust crossed her face.

"Anything wrong Ms. Kamiya?" a cool voice interjected.

"No. I'm fine," she responded back to the harsh looking man, forcing a smile.

"Good," retorted Saitou. "Then let us proceed to the matters at hand. The murder of Captain Seijurou is a devastating blow to the entire division-- "

"Skip the generalities already. Get onto the details. Do we have any leads?" demanded a now rather irate Kenshin. It was only beginning to hit him that Seijuro Hiko would no longer be alive. No more long lectures. No more nights filled with chugging down sake. He hadn't even been able to say goodbye! All else was forgotten, even the young woman standing near him. And Saitou Hajime was one of the last people he wanted to deal with at the moment.

Saitou slowly exhaled releasing more of the foggy gray substance into the air and right into the face of the red-head. He wasn't particularly fond of the shorter man.

"There aren't any definite leads at the moment. A few fingerprints here and there, but those could belong to one of the many women Seijuro seduced on a nightly basis, his servants, or even himself. It's all still under investigation at the moment," Saitou stated, smugly taking note of the frustration on Kenshin's face.

"Then why the hell did you make us come here when we could be out there looking for more clues?" yelled Kenshin. He didn't like the way Saitou was treating his former sensei and superior.

Kaoru inhaled sharply, taken off guard by the sudden outburst by the man standing only a few feet from her. He appeared completely different from the cocky and slightly out-of-it man she had bumped into only a few hours before. He looked darker, more menacing somehow. But the man regarded as the "Wolf" amongst those in the force seemed unfazed.

"I don't like the tone you have taken with me Agent Himura," Saitou coldly stated to Kenshin. "I understand that the late Cpt. Seijuro's death hit you especially hard--"

"YOU UNDERSTAND?" Kenshin shook his head and laughed out loud. It came out empty and hollow.

"I do," Saitou confirmed stiffly. He paused, waiting for the rude interruption to cease. Once the room became quiet again, his middle finger tapped his cigarette over the ashtray, causing the glowing embers to quickly die and disintegrate into the thick glass. He cleared his throat.

"DESPITE the loss, you are still on duty, and I am now your reigning superior. And as such, you will show me the same respect that I, as Captain, deserve," demanded Saitou. "I will give you a couple days off… to sort things out… if you wish. But after that, I expect your full attention and focus. Do you understand me?"

Saitou stared down at his new subordinate harshly. It was obvious Hiko had coddled him for too long.

Kenshin met his gaze with an equally frosty glare.

"Fine with me."

And with that Kenshin stalked out of the office, slamming the door behind him in defiance.

Saitou closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Cigarettes these days just didn't seem to have as much nicotine as they used to. When he opened his eyes, he was met with two fiery, sapphire eyes glaring right up at him. He simply blinked back at them, and exhaled.

Unfortunately, for Kaoru, it was at that very moment when she decided to 'breathe deep' in order to calm her nerves.

Saitou raised his eyebrow in amusement as he watched the petite girl go into a coughing fit, wheezing something about that 'damn nicotine freak.'

"Excuse me?" asked Saitou, a bit too politely for Kaoru's liking. After she had fully recovered, Kaoru glared daggers back at the man. This was turning out to be far more frustrating that she had bargained for. To begin with, she was wet and muddy and her new partner really wasn't a pleasant guy. Ok. She could deal with that. But then being dragged to an office that reeked of tobacco, then being completely IGNORED, then having her partner storm off, and now being tormented by this monster of a human being was just too much.

"I SAID THAT YOU ARE A DAMN NICOTINE FREAK!" bellowed the extremely upset and frustrated girl.

"Is there anything else of relevance Ms. Kamiya, or are you only full of childish remarks?" Saitou coolly questioned the tanuki like girl. Kaoru almost growled. She should bite his ear off for his arrogance and cockiness! But she bit her tongue instead.

"Seeing as my … partner… is temporarily … indisposed," Kaoru gritted through her teeth, "I would like to know just what exactly my orders are until he is … not."

Saitou eyed the girl. He wasn't sure if she would last longer than a few weeks working under him, but why not give her the opportunity to at least show that she was worth something?

"Figure out all the people who may have held any reason to target the man: Hiko Seijuro. You just came to this precinct, so obviously, you don't know anything about the man," Saitou nonchalantly stated to her. "In order to find our murderer, we must get to know our man of the hour first. Look into his history, dish up some dirt, talk to his contacts, find some relatives, something that will be of use." He paused and stared hard at Kaoru. She defiantly stared back.

"It won't be easy," Saitou grimly warned. "Hiko Seijuro was a man of mystery. Though I've worked with him for a good amount of years, I still never really knew him. I'm certain he had … and still has many enemies. Get too close and you will bleed." Saitou crushed his now butt of a cigarette into the glass ashtray and whipped out a new one. Kaouru watched him warily as he lit his new best friend. When it seemed as if Saitou had nothing more to say, Kaouru broke the silence.

"Is that all?" she asked incredulously. Who was this man kidding? She was a veteran detective of 5 years now, having handled multiple murder cases much bloodier than the one of Hiko Seijuro. And all he wanted her to do was look into the man's history? Granted, Kaoru already knew that links were important, but this couldn't possibly the ONLY thing he had for her to do. What about hunting for the clues like any traces of DNA, talking to possible witnesses, anything! This bookwork was supposed to be for younger, newly recruited agents! She didn't like being talked down to.

Saitou stared hard at the woman in front of him and sighed. As experienced as she was, she still had a lot to learn.

"Listen closely, Tanuki! Those are your direct orders from your superior! Are you questioning my judgment?" Saitou demanded, his eyes turning into a dangerous pair of slits.

Kaoru was reeling. He had just addressed her as TANUKI! The nerve of this monster! But before she could even spit out a rebuke, he continued.

"I already told you that it won't be easy, but obviously you're of the 'has to see it to believe it' kind so I'll let you experience it firsthand. But I will give you a shove in the right direction. Start with that partner of yours," Saitou stared coolly at Kaoru and then turned to look out the window. "Now get out of my office. You received your assignment. There will be no changes made."

Kaoru bit her tongue harder. Stiffly she bowed.

"Hai!"

And with that she steered herself toward the door, letting the Wolf know she had finally made her exit with a sharp click of the doorknob. Saitou looked out at the bustling city below him. Those two would be a handful to deal with. He shook his head. Sparks would fly, he was sure of it.

"Damn you, Hiko! Why did you have to go and get murdered like that? Look at the mess you've let me with!" Saitou muttered to himself as he exhaled more smoke. He only hoped that Kaoru would be smart enough to follow his directions and get through that hard headed red-head. He inhaled deeply.

Damn cigarettes needed more nicotine in them.

**Author's notes:** I hope you all enjoyed it! I really like Saitou. He is such kick-ass character. But Kenshin is still my number one man!

me: tries to hug Saitou but gets a face full of cigarette smoke instead

-.- yeah. not exactly the most huggable is he.

: hugs kenshin :

me: KENSHIN! I looooooooooooooooove you!

kenshin: oro?

:sweat drop:

forgive me for my weirdness haha

Tell me what you think of the story so far! I know it's going a little slow, but I'll be updating as soon as I can. I want to establish certain relationships first.

**Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease read and review!**


	4. Unforeseen visitors

:DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kenshin or any of the characters created by the amazing Nobuhiro Watsuki. I am only a crazy fan of the series and am borrowing them for the sake of my story. 

**_Chapter 4: Unforeseen visitors_**

Kenshin blinked.

How long had he been up? 48 hours? 62? 75? He had lost track of the days. He looked down at the sakobatou lying safely and comfortingly in his grip. The sword had become the most reliant object in his life these days. It never left his side. Taking a deep breath, Kenshin unsheathed the sword, allowing the sound of the shimmering silver metal sliding against its solid covering fill his studio. Intently, he stared back at his now refracted reflection. Dull, violet eyes peered back at him. He chuckled ruefully. His life had become as backward as the sword he kept hidden under his mattress. Life was not full of justice and compassion. It was full of ironic disappointments. No, wait. Kenshin knew exactly what it was full of.

"It's full of SHIT. That's what it's full of!" Kenshin exclaimed to the sword. As if suddenly disgusted by its mere appearance, he thrust the sakobatou to his right, causing it to seamlessly slide across the wooden floor only to collide straight into the wall closest to the entrance. Kenshin warily eyed the damage. The sword jutted straight out into the studio, with its tip snugly wedged into the point of impact. Leaning his head back to rest on the side of his bed, Kenshin closed his eyes, attempting to force sleep to take over his body once more.

A loud knock sounded, making Kenshin jump. 'Shit!' he thought. He didn't want to deal with overly polite, sympathetic visitors anymore. As if they knew what he was going through. What bullshit. Closing his eyes again, Kenshin hoped to any god up there for the stranger to leave him to his own misery.

"KENSHIN! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" bellowed a very loud and familiar voice. Kenshin reluctantly opened his eyes.

"Come in, Sano."

The door slammed open, revealing a rather frustrated looking Sano. As he stared down at the disheveled red-head, his anger softened. He wasn't used to seeing his best friend look so depressed. Kenshin was a strong man, and Sano had become accustomed to his confident and competent character. It was only at moments such as these, during his mental breakdowns, that Sano was reminded that Kenshin was only human.

"Kenshin, you look like you've been to hell and back!" chided Sano, forcing on a grin.

"This isn't hell?" Kenshin muttered. Sano shook his head.

"You can't go on like this man!" the tall man exclaimed. "You can't let yourself be eaten up by grief like this anymore! It's been two weeks and you haven't stepped outside of this studio since… since… you know," Sano paused. Kenshin looked down, his bangs hiding any expression on his face. Sano continued.

"He wouldn't have liked this Kenshin. As your sensei and closest thing to family, he wouldn't have approved of you sulking your life away. It's been two weeks already! Take action! Look for the murderer! Do something about it, god damn it!"

Kenshin's body went rigid.

"Act!" Kenshin snapped his head up to stare coldly at Sano. The brown haired man didn't like the way Kenshin's eyes were staring at him. He shifted nervously from his left foot to his right. Kenshin sighed deeply.

"Don't tell me how to act." His tone was softer, but still firm. "What do you want me to 'do' anyways? Solve the mystery overnight? That's highly unlikely, as you should already know Agent Sagara. I'll 'act' when I feel like it." Kenshin breathed deep. "You never knew Hiko. Not really. You don't know what he did or didn't mean to me. So I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone and get out of my home." And with that Kenshin closed his eyes, effectively ending the discussion. Sano ran his fingers through his spiky brown hair half in anger and half in disappointment.

"Don't think that I won't be back!" the rooster head warned. "Just because I let you off easy for all this time doesn't mean I'll let you go any longer!" And with that, Sano stalked out of the studio, kicking open the door in the process. Kenshin's body went lax. Sano was a dear friend to him, but he wasn't ready to deal with Sano or anyone else for that matter.

A loud knock interrupted his thoughts. Kenshin groaned in utter frustration. Sano would just not take no for an answer. He squeezed his eyes shut even tighter.

"GO AWAY!" yelled a very aggravated Kenshin. "JUST—leave!"

"Well, that isn't a very polite welcome, now is it?" mused a voice very unlike Sano's. Kenshin's eyes snapped open again, only to see a very determined pair of sapphire blue eyes staring directly into his own pair of violet ones. This was familiar. What in the world was SHE doing here!

Kaoru straightened up and stared down at the surprised red-head and raised an eyebrow.

"What! Expecting a kiss or something!" she asked skeptically. Kenshin glared back in response.

"Kiss!" He snorted in disgust.

"Good!" the raven haired girl defiantly eyed him. Was that a faint trace of a blush on his cheeks? She must have been seeing things.

"Then I can get straight to business!"

Kenshin stared as the petite girl situated herself right in front of him on the floor. Out of her briefcase she took out multiple files, all of which she carefully stacked in some order only decipherable to herself.

"Just what do you think you're doing!"

Kaoru smiled in response and continued with her files.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Kenshin yelled, feeling a blazing migraine in the back of his head.

"And I'll answer you when I'm ready!" the girl sharply retorted. Kenshin noticed her face scrunch up as if in disgust. Just WHAT was her problem?

"Don't you clean up around here?" Kaoru asked him. He wouldn't stop glaring. She sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. She went back to her files, flipping through a few as if in search of something in particular. Sneaking quick glances at the man in front of her, she silently took in the full extent of his present state, taking note of his unwashed hair, most likely unwashed clothes, and his disgruntled expression. She wasn't going to get anywhere with him like this. Slowly she began packing her files back into her briefcase.

Kenshin blinked twice. Was she actually leaving without tormenting him? Was there actually a god out there?

Kaoru looked up at him once the last file was back in its proper place.

"I think I'm ready to answer your question now," she said. Kenshin looked up at her confused.

"Huh?"

"You asked what I was doing here Himura-san. I was originally here to get some information from you, but as you are in a most…" Kaoru searched for the right words. "…unfortunate state… I'm afraid there has been a change in the agenda." She paused looking hard at the man before her.

"And just what is this change?" he asked tiredly. He saw a strand of hair fall into her face and had a sudden urge to push the lock of hair out of the way. Kenshin shoved the urge out of his head.

"I'm going to clean your act up, beginning with your studio and your hair!" Kaoru triumphantly exclaimed. And before Kenshin could even begin to protest, she was already up and about, throwing empty beer cans into a plastic bag she had foraged from who knows where. In no mood to get into a full-fledged argument, Kenshin stared silently as she noiselessly went on cleaning and picking up the mess in his studio.

A few minutes into her cleaning, Kaoru turned to where Kenshin was sitting and huffed in disapproval.

"Get up!"

"Why!" Kenshin refused.

"I need to clean there, BAKA!" and with a whack of the plastic bag now full of beer cans, she swatted Kenshin from his spot next to the bed. She eyed him as he rubbed his head in pain, not missing the flash of icy yellow in his eyes. Gripping the plastic bag tighter, Kaoru looked straight into his face.

"Take a shower already!" she demanded. "You reek of stale cigarettes and a hangover!"

"Like I care what you think I smell like!" Kenshin barked back. But he was suddenly aware of just how filthy he must appear. Just when had he last taken a shower? He noticed that the female agent was headed towards the door.

"Leaving?" he suddenly asked. Kaoru turned to look back at him. He almost sounded as if he didn't want her to go.

"Just leaving to restock your fridge with more healthy food choices," she answered sharply. Hesitating for a moment, she looked at him with a small smile. Maybe she should be nicer to him. He was still in mourning after all.

Once she had left, Kenshin stood up. He felt a sudden urge to take a shower. It wasn't because she had told him to, he reassured himself. It was because he felt like it. He had been in desperate need of a shower. Not because he cared what she thought of him.

He looked around his now much cleaner studio. Not bad. The image of her smiling back at him flashed through his mind. He quickly shook his head.

He didn't care what anyone thought. And he certainly didn't care what that woman thought of him.

Why would he.

Right?

**Author's notes: **

Don't worry. this is a KKE fic still! he's on his way!

zop: aaah. i know. it's hard to believe that a guy like hiko can be killed. but that's where i wanted the mystery to lie. and hence the title of this story. i hope you understand.so don't think that i arbitrarily picked his character to be the one to be murdered. but i understand where you're coming from. hiko is an awsome guy!

please read and review!


	5. Apples and bananas

:DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kenshin or any of the characters created by the amazing Nobuhiro Watsuki. I am only a crazy fan of the series and am borrowing them for the sake of my story. 

**_Chapter 5: Apples and Bananas_**

Two plastic bags filled with food, one on the left and the other on the right, lazily swung back and forth.

"OUCH!"

Deep blue eyes winced in pain as the right bag made a sudden impact with her right leg. Rubbing her thigh, Kaoru blew her bangs out of her face in frustration.

Just exactly what had she been thinking when she had brilliantly decided today would be the day to visit the idiot red-head, much less help him clean his home. Continuing on the slow walk back to his studio Kaoru's thoughts wandered to the pitiful state of her partner. She sighed, recalling the butterflies she had felt in the pits of her stomach when she had first laid eyes on him at the crime scene. It had been nearly two weeks since their first meet and greet, and they still hadn't had a decent conversation together. Indeed, she agreed to herself, Kenshin was an attractive man, and his flaming red hair and deep violet eyes only made him that much more intriguing. But his attitude and smart, biting remarks were just plain infuriating!

Kaoru shifted the weight of the heavy bags a little, hoping that the weight of the food wouldn't tear through the thin material. Unknowingly her thoughts shifted back to Kenshin. When she had walked into his studio earlier that day, there had been no traces of butterflies fluttering about in her stomach. Rather, she had been hit with a wave of sorrow and sympathy for the broken man. Unfortunately, she had never been very good at expressing her emotions, as shown by her crude (but true) remarks on his cleanliness. But in all honesty, Kaoru truly did feel bad for him. She, too, knew how devastating the loss of a parent was, all too clearly. Yes, Kaoru reminded herself, she felt for this man because they had that one thing in common—nothing else. Then what about the butterflies? Well, Kaoru told herself, she did have a tendency to get a bit excited and tense at the scenes of crimes. Kaoru nodded her head, as if the action would make the thought become truth. Kaoru sighed as the walk to his studio began to feel longer and the fruits and vegetables became heavier. She had even put aside her work for him, for goodness sake!

'But this is for the sake of your investigation!' a little voice in her head reassured her. 'You can't really expect him to be in the mood to talk and spill his deepest, darkest secrets to you in that horrible mood he is in, can you? You've got to wear him down…soften him up!' Kaoru nodded vigorously in agreement.

'Riiiiiight,' another voice in her head jeered accusingly. Kaoru didn't like that voice one bit. The voice continued. 'You can't honestly believe that you don't feel ANYTHING else, can you?'

"Shut up!" Kaoru yelled aloud. People around her eyed her strangely. Her face suddenly felt hot. When had she become one of those babbling idiots she had once feared so much? In spite of whatever the voices in her head said, it was clear that she needed to get to business once she arrived back at Kenshin's place.

_flashback_

_"Seta!" barked out a very irked Kaoru. "What the hell is wrong with these files?"_

_A serene looking man walked into the office towards the confused woman. He smiled at her in response._

_"Don't give me any smiles! I want to know why there is absolutely nothing on Hiko Seijuro in his file!" she demanded. Soujirou shrugged. Kaoru groaned in agony. She was getting absolutely nowhere. It had taken her days to try and find the crazy man's file and now that it was right here in her hands… NOTHING!_

_"Hiko-san was always a very private and quiet man when it came to his private affairs Kamiya-san," offered the short, brown haired man. "He insisted that he file cases which he handled himself, personally. That included cases which dealt with him directly as well."_

_"Directly?" Kaoru raised her eyebrows in interest._

_"Hai," Soujiro answered. "Hiko-san, was not the most loved man in the black market. He was a well-hated man by many drug dealers, thugs, and the sorts. It was not unusual for him to get death threats or be targeted by such men."_

_"So, what then. Are you saying that Hiko purposefully filed his own cases in order to prevent anyone from knowing the exact details? That's ridiculous!" Kaoru gawked at the agent standing next to her incredulously. "That would be just plain stupid of him! He would've been hiding valuable information from the police! That's, that's, that's just … deceitful!"_

_Soujirou shrugged again._

_"I'm not saying he did. I'm only saying that it's a possibility. He could have placed the files somewhere else for all I know. I'm just saying, when he did the paperwork, nobody questioned it… no matter how vague it sounded. But I guess that could be understandable. He was the most respected and most feared in this precinct… until Saitou-san came… that is. Maybe he was just lazy. I could be looking too much into it."_

_Kaoru stared down at the file in her hands. A 3x3 photo of a very cocky looking Seijirou Hiko stared back at her, mocking her. The contact numbers no longer worked. The relatives listed could not be found. The man's history was nondescript. The only truth was in his physical description. There wasn't even a list of the cases he had handled attached to his file. Kaoru threw the folder across the table, watching it land with a satisfying smack. She looked back at the young man before her. He just calmly smiled back._

_Kaoru's right eye twitched. He was getting on her nerves. But before she could yell at the man to stop smiling for no reason, her phone rang. Growling in utter frustration, she picked up the phone._

_"WHAT!" Kaoru barked into the receiver, her usually bright blue eyes glazed over with annoyance. "This had better be important!"_

_Seta Soujirou amusingly watched as his superior's facial expression transformed from one of irritation to utmost interest. Curiously, he watched her set the phone back down, waiting intently to hear what the call was all about. A small glint came into her eyes._

_"This is interesting, very interesting," Kaoru spoke to herself, leaning back into her chair._

_"What?" urged Soujirou. Kaoru stared at him, a bit amused. What had happened to the ever patient and smiling young man?_

_"The lab report came back on Hiko's autopsy," Kaoru stated. "Apparently, they think that Hiko must have been poisoned before his body was stabbed."_

_"How?" Soujirou asked._

_"I'm not completely clear on that. The man on the phone said something about how there had been too much blood internally and in places where he should not have been bleeding from where he had been stabbed," Kaoru told him._

_"The killer must have really wanted him dead," said Soujirou quietly to no one in particular. But Kaoru shook her head._

_"That could be it. Hiko would have been a very formidable opponent in hand to hand combat, but why bother stabbing the man when he was already going to die? Unless…" Kaoru furrowed her eyebrows in deep thought. Then it hit her. Her eyes widened._

_"Unless the killer made a mistake when he stabbed his victim! Unless he was trying to hide something!" she exclaimed._

_"Something like the very fact that he was poisoned!" finished Soujirou. They stared at each other. Kaoru quickly picked up the phone, and called the lab back, requesting a full description of the autopsy. When she put the phone down, she looked disappointed and perplexed._

_"They say that they will send up a full report, but they can't send up anything on the substance that poisoned him," Kaoru said._

_"Can't or won't?" muttered the other agent._

_"Can't," confirmed Kaoru. "They can only speculate that some internal substance must have done this to him because of the physical evidence left behind on his body. Any traces of a drug or poison can't be found in his blood."_

_Kaoru couldn't understand. Why would the murderer try and hide the fact that Hiko had been killed by some other means? Why was it so important! Kaoru needed more information. There was finally a direction for her to go in, but no more clues to link. Hiko's arrogant face seemed to smirk back at her from the file on her desk. She glanced out the door and saw the Wolf walking by her office, still smoking his beloved cigarettes. Maybe it was about time she listened to his advice about Kenshin..._

_end flashback_

So, that was how she had ended up carrying bags overstuffed with food back to his place. Well, she thought to herself, at least the plastic hadn't torn yet. She suddenly felt the bag on her left go light and she watched as apples, jars, bananas and other odds and ends went rolling onto the asphalt.

She had thought too soon.

Groaning, she crouched down to retrieve the fallen food. As she reached for a now bruised apple, Kaoru felt a drop of water, and then another.

"This is NOT happening!" she moaned aloud. Slowly at first, but then faster, tiny dark circles formed on the ground until they all melded together into one shade of black on the once gray asphalt sidewalk. Scrambling to try and retrieve all the fallen objects, Kaoru remained in her squatted position like a wet duck. Grumbling, she reached for a banana when another hand came out from nowhere and picked it up for her. Kaoru looked up toward the man to whom the hand belonged. Dark, bluish-gray eyes looked down at her through a pair of thin rimmed glasses. His silver hair was slowly being matted down by the water and now turning a dark, gray shade, similar to that of the wet cement beneath their feet. Kaoru watched, frozen in place as the man before her silently picked up the rest of the food that had escaped her grasp. Holding the food in one hand, he offered her his other. Kaoru went to accept the offer, but as her hand was about to touch the man's, she hesitated. Her fingers hovered only centimeters away from his palm. The light drizzle suddenly became a heavy downpour of water, causing the silver haired man to close the distance between them and pull her up, dragging her down the street, not stopping until they found shelter from the rain under the canopy of a small fruit stand. Kaoru inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath. She shoved her wet locks out of her face, turning to stare at the man next to her. Realizing that they were still holding hands, she quickly released her grasp. The man did likewise.

"Uh, thanks a lot for the help," Kaoru started. "I probably would still be out there in all this rain if you hadn't come along." She smiled gratefully at the man. He flashed a small smile in return.

"I'm Kamiya Kaoru," she introduced herself.

"Enishi," he responded.

**Author's Notes:** Yaaaaaaaay! Enishi finally showed himself!

Grdiang3l : thanks for the encouragement! yeah. the story is still building up. but it'll get there! i hope you'll keep reading!

daruma and Jisusaken: i'll update as soon as i can!

pleease read and review!


	6. Rain, rain

:DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kenshin or any of the characters created by the amazing Nobuhiro Watsuki. I am only a crazy fan of the series and am borrowing them for the sake of my story.

**Chapter 6: Rain, rain…**

Enishi took off his glasses to wipe off the water on his damp sweater. His eyes were very dark and a bit cold at first glance, but they would soften every now and then as he looked out into the rain. He glanced at the drenched woman standing next to him while she was preoccupied with her now wet food. Despite the miserable state she appeared to be in, he could tell she was quite beautiful. He sighed. Why had he helped her?

Kaoru looked up from her bruised fruits and stared silently as he brushed his hand through his spiky hair, attempting to get rid of the excess water. Noticing her stare, he stopped to stare back. Kaoru quickly looked away.

"These aren't very good anymore," she heard him say. Kaoru looked down at the bruised fruit in her hand and frowned.

"Yeah, I guess," she reluctantly agreed. She would have to buy more. Turning around, she looked at the fruit being sold at the stand directly behind her. Thoughtfully she looked at a shiny red apple. Kaoru was about to pick it up when she heard the man's voice again.

"That's no good."

"Huh?" Kaoru was confused. "Why not?"

"It's too ripe. It'll get spoiled in a few days if you don't eat it right away." Enishi muttered as he put back on his glasses. He looked up at the elderly woman waiting for the two to buy something. "Can you hand a couple of those over there?" he asked, pointing to a group of apples in the far left corner of the crate. The lady happily complied.

Kaoru watched dumbfounded as he continued to pick out more fruit for the lady to bag, not stopping until he had three bags full of fruit for her. She gawked at the absurd amount he had picked out for her. The bags were not only full of the typical apples, oranges, and bananas, but also exotic fruits like pineapples, mangos, apricots, and kiwis! 'How in the world are you supposed to even cut a pineapple!" she thought.

"Th-that's too much!" Kaoru exclaimed to Enishi.

He shrugged.

"Ahem!" the lady coughed, telling them she was waiting to be paid in exchange for all the fruit. Kaoru looked at Enishi expectantly. He stared blankly down at her. Muttering in annoyance, she dug around her purse for her wallet. As she was counting out the money, she noticed that Enishi suddenly began to walk away from the stand and into the rain. Kaoru growled in frustration. The nerve of this guy! But Enishi's disappearance quickly vanished from her mind as she realized she did not have enough money for all the fruit. She looked at the lady sheepishly.

"Could I just put a few of these fruits back?" Kaoru smiled widely at the old woman.

"No! You touch! You BUY!" the lady scolded sourly. Kaoru's smile disappeared. But SHE hadn't TOUCHED ANYTHING!

"I don't think you understand," Kaoru tried to explain calmly. "I don't have enough-"

"I UNDERSTAND!" interrupted the lady. "You trying to rip old lady like me off! You rude!" spat the old lady. Kaoru looked at her bewildered! What had happened to the polite grandma that had been standing there only moments before? Suddenly a voice interjected.

"I'll pay for the fruit," Enishi said as he took out his wallet.

"NO!" Kaoru shouted. Enishi paused and stared down at her. "I don't want you to pay for me!" she said defiantly.

"Do you have the money?" he asked raising an eyebrow. Kaoru sighed and looked away. "Then I guess I'll have to pay instead."

"Come again!" the old lady exclaimed, finally happy now that she had the money. Kaoru felt pathetic. First the dropped fruit and then she had to let him pay for her! She was POOR and PATHETIC!

"You ok?" Enishi asked, sounding concerned. Kaoru frowned. 'I guess not,' he thought. He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Let's get going," he prompted as he picked up the bags of fruit he had just purchased.

"It's still raining!" Kaoru protested as he shoved something in her direction.

"Open this," he demanded. Kaoru stared down at the bright yellow umbrella. Is this what he had gone out in the rain to get? Once the umbrella was open, Kaoru picked up her remaining bag of groceries and she along with Enishi stepped out from under the shelter of the small stand. As the two of them left, the old lady waved her hand goodbye to them.

"What a nice looking couple," she said to herself, just loud enough for both of them to hear. Kaoru's face felt hot and picked up her pace.

"Hey!" Enishi shouted for her to wait as he caught up with her.

"Sorry," she muttered quickly. As the two of them walked side by side under the glow of the yellow umbrella, Kaoru could not help but notice how close in proximity they were to each other. His arm would occasionally brush up against her hand as she held the umbrella over their heads. When she would try and further the distance between them, he would end up getting hit with the rain and just lean in closer. Kaoru bit her lower lip in nervousness.

Enishi wasn't dense. He had noticed her attempts to draw away from him, but he enjoyed making her flustered. Realizing she was drifting from him again, he put his hand on her back, as if to guide her back into the shelter of the umbrella, and closer to him. He felt her go stiff.

"You're getting wet," he told her, his hand still resting in the same position. Kaoru nodded, looking away.

"Where are you headed anyway?" he asked. She had been very quiet the entire time. Kaoru suddenly took in their surroundings and realized that they were only a little bit away from Kenshin's studio. She stopped abruptly, causing Enishi to bump into her slightly. Turning around to face him, she looked down at her feet.

"Sorry," she mumbled apologetically. She seemed to be always apologizing to this guy! Why was she such a klutz!

"It's alright," he said, staring down at her patting her shoulder. He smiled slightly. She looked up. His eyes were colder than Kenshin's, and far more difficult to read. But his touch was much warmer and comforting than she expected.

"Umm, about the fruit…" Kaoru began sheepishly looking down at the bags in his other hand.

"You can pay me back next time Kamiya Kaoru," he interjected staring intently at her face.

"Next time?" she asked perplexed. He flashed a grin, placed the bags of fruit at her feet, and then jogged off into the rain, his hands over his head as if to shield him from the rain. Kaoru watched as his broad shoulders and silver hair became smaller in the distance, his feet kicking up water in the process. The shoulder he had rested his hand on only moments before still felt warm. Kaoru smiled thoughtfully and bent down to pick up the bags of fruit.

----

Enishi ran faster. If he hadn't left then, he may have done something stupid. Laughing softly, he recalled Kaoru's flustered face. Enishi felt warm despite the cold weather. While he was unfamiliar with this feeling, he certainly did not hate it. Coming to a halt, Enishi bent over, breathing deeply in order to catch his breath. Water beat down on his back. He shook his head, causing water to fly out from his silver hair. He couldn't seem to get those big blue eyes out of his mind. Straightening up, he tilted his head up toward the sky and closed his eyes, allowing the droplets of water to caress his pale face. The rain felt good on his hot face. He didn't notice the shadow which had been following him ever since he had left the fruit stand with Kaoru. Oblivious to all else, he began walking again, with a small grin on his face.

----

Kaoru leaned against the elevator wall. The yellow umbrella stood up, propped against a corner. She thought of the man who had helped her out today. 'What had he meant by next time?' Kaoru tucked a lock of her dark blue hair behind her ear. 'Had he thought that she lived here? Or maybe he lived in the same neighborhood.' Kaoru gave a small smile as the elevator doors opened onto Kenshin's floor. Perhaps they would meet again. But Kaoru highly doubted that would happen. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little curious and hopeful that, maybe, she would run into him again someday. Just to say thank you. All thoughts of Enishi, however, disappeared as she knocked on Kenshin's door and a very clean and shaved red-head opened it.

Kaoru felt her heart beat faster as she looked into the violet eyes.

"Where have you been!" Kenshin asked grumpily. "You're all wet! Try and not to drip all over the place," he warned her as she slipped inside.

Truthfully, he had been worried about her when he realized that it had begun to rain outside. Unwilling to admit this truth to himself, he had kept himself preoccupied with cleaning up the studio even more. As he closed the door, he suddenly heard a loud WHUMP! and a slew of curses followed suit. Turning around he saw Kaoru sprawled out face down on the ground, apples and oranges lazily rolling about. He tried not to, but he couldn't help it.

Kaoru's face went hot as she heard a loud burst of laughter coming from behind her. Growling she looked around to see what had caused her to fall flat on her face so unattractively. Her eyes fell upon a sword lying haphazardly on the floor near her feet.

"WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU HAVE A SWORD JUST LYING AROUND LIKE THAT! I COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY HURT MYSELF!" she exploded at the red-head. Kenshin looked at the sakobatou and stopped laughing.

"None of your business," he replied curtly, picking up the sword. He silently put the sheath back on and shoved it underneath his mattress.

Kaoru fumed as she stood back up, wincing as she rubbed her knees. She had fallen harder than she had thought. Grumbling, she looked around for the fallen fruit. Her eyes, however, were distracted by something else. The studio was CLEAN! She didn't mean a "oh it's pretty ok' kind of clean. The room was practically sparkling! Why had he cleaned so much? She looked at Kenshin with wide eyes. He simply nodded toward the rest of the fruit bags which had been spared in her fall.

"Why are there so many?" he asked her incredulously.

"I didn't pick them. Some guy did," she explained nonchalantly as she picked up the remaining fruit and headed toward his fridge.

"Guy?" Kenshin raised an eyebrow. What was a guy doing picking out fruit for her? He felt irked for some reason. "You can't possibly be so stupid that you can't even buy food on your own, now can you?"

Kaoru flashed him a look of annoyance.

"Shut it, will you? He was just a nice guy. And all of this is for you anyway," she muttered, restocking his fridge.

"You can't trust guys so easily Kamiya," Kenshin leaned against the kitchen counter. "You might get hurt. Then what will you do with that poor, broken, itty, bitty heart of yours?" He smiled cockily at her look of anger.

"That's only if I fall for jerks like you," she threw back, closing the fridge. Kenshin frowned.

"The feeling's mutual," Kenshin told her grimly. Kaoru stared back at him from across the table. The air was beginning to get tense. She felt a small flash of disappointment in her heart, but she quickly pushed it aside. There was no room for such feelings. No time. Kenshin looked away and Kaoru sighed in relief. Silently she pulled her tangled hair back into a high ponytail. She reminded herself of her original goal.

Kenshin stared at her from the corner of his eye and scratched his head. He had seen the hurt flicker through her eyes. Could she possibly feel something for him? His heart skipped a beat at the very idea. He pushed the thought out of his mind. He didn't have the time for such feelings. There were more important things to worry about.

"Himura.." Kenshin looked back at the girl. Blue eyes stared back him, full of determination. "I have a few questions I have to ask you."

Kenshin nodded slightly.

"It's about Seijuro Hiko," she continued. "I need you to tell me of your apprenticeship with him."

The rain beat down on the window panes harder.

Kenshin's eyes went an icy yellow.

Kaoru swallowed hard.

Maybe she should have bought some sake with all that fruit.

**Author's Notes:** ENISHIIIIII! ahaha he's so cute. i know.. he seems a bit OOC.

i hope you guys liked it anyways.

coolx: yeah. i know. i didn't review myself. that is just strange and weird. i'm sharing a computer with my sister and i guess she wanted to be supportive...anyhow i was still logged in and it was too late. i tried to delete it.. but i don't know how. mistakes happen. i can deal.

Jisusaken, Jaded Dawn, and angelbecca: thanks so much!

please read and review!


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